They moved on to the next house and discovered five bodies inside, all dried and grotesque in death. Each died violently. Most still had knives in them as if someone had carried a pouch of knives and stabbed each person to death, leaving the knives in them as warnings.
Carrion surveyed the room and said, “This is more than death or murder. These people were punished before dying. They watched each other die, knowing they would be next. Maybe thieves demanding to know where they kept their money.”
“Or the King’s military demanding information they probably didn’t have so they died.”
“Let's make a quick check of the other buildings, then a more thorough search.”
Tanner didn’t hesitate to leave the house with all the dead bodies. As they walked to the buildings on the other side of the road, he said, “How long does it take for bodies to dry out like that?”
“In this heat and dryness, it would still take time. Twenty days? Thirty? I don’t know.”
“The least we can do is bury them,” Tanner said.
“That’s a thought to be proud of, but we’re not going to do it. If whoever killed them returns we want them to find things exactly as they left them. We want to leave no clue we were here, so be careful of what you touch or move.”
The other buildings were much the same, but without bodies. Tanner pulled himself together. “We don’t need food, weapons, or even to know who did this. As far as I’m concerned, we can leave without going back to them.”
“Not quite yet,” Carrion said. “I did notice one or two things.”
Tanner didn’t wish to enter any of the houses again. “What?”
“That second house, where we found the woman and the dog, had a stone structure in the rear. It’s the only thing built of stone I’ve seen here. It might be a well, which is why this village exists in this place.”
“We have water.”
“We do now. What about on our return? Knowing where to find water in a desert like this can save our lives.”
“Agreed. What else?”
“Clothing. Ours is different from what the dead are wearing, and that will make us stand out. The Captain mentioned a land of ‘capes.' I didn’t think to question him, I assumed he was speaking of peninsulas, now I think he meant capes that are worn.”
“It’s too hot for capes.”
“Not at night. The temperature here falls so fast that I’ll bet it frosts some nights. But during the day, it cooks. Capes can cover your arms to prevent sunburn. At night, they will warm you.”
Tanner said, “How did you get this idea of capes?”
“In the house where most of them died, there were pegs on the wall. All held either capes or straw hats. No coats. It made me wonder why, and then it made sense.”
They were standing at the door to the cabin, talking as if trying to delay entering. Tanner finally unlatched the door and entered. He walked to the rear where a stone circle almost waist high dominated. A wooden lid was hinged with leather straps on one side, a handle on the other. He opened it.
The sweet, dank smell of water told him Carrion was right. A bucket on a rope sat on a ledge inside. He lowered the bucket a short distance and heard the splash. Lifting it revealed fresh water, tepid, but clear. He sniffed. Then tasted. “I think it’s good.”
Carrion had entered another room. He called, “Come here.”
Tanner closed the lid to prevent animals from getting inside and trapped, then dying and spoiling the water. They might need it on their return.
Carrion had a trunk open. He held up a hooded cape made of heavy material, a dull rust color. He tossed it around his shoulders and tied it under his chin. It fell to his waist. A flip of his hands and the hood covered his head. The hood was too big, the front edge fell over his forehead, almost hiding his face.
Tanner saw the benefits but still hesitated. It was clothing belonging to dead people.
Carrion said, “The waist is flared to let heat out. When I lift my arms and let them fall, the material fans the air out the bottom. At night, this thing will be twice as warm as our blankets.”
“The hood will help hide your ugly face and keep from scaring the children of Breslau,” but he was thinking of how cold the previous night was. If the cape would keep him warm, he’d wear it.
“There are more in the trunk. Pick one out for yourself.”
Tanner found a dull green cape that he hoped would blend in with the locals. He put it on and found that it rested on his shoulders, not his neck as feared. It covered his hands and arms, and the hood would protect his neck and head from the sun, and from the cold at night while still allowing him the freedom of movement to protect himself.
Carrion said, “We’ll take these, wipe away any footprints, and leave.”
“Refill your water bottle, too. But I’m ready to get out of this place.”
They again walked off the road, keeping watch on the road ahead, but never seeing anyone on it. The few times they checked, there was grass growing over it, and they saw no indication anyone had used it.
The mountains to their right seemed to begin a stone’s throw away. The large bay on the Endless Sea, a few stone throws to the left. They often saw the sparkle of the water and more than once looked for boats or ships. The sea remained as empty as the dry land they walked on.
The capes were an immediate improvement. Both wore the hoods up. They moved quickly, but carefully.
Another village came into view. The first thing they noticed was the wash hanging on a line behind a house. A dog barked, but not at them. However, of the five houses and two storage sheds in view, only the one looked occupied.
They slipped by without incident. Tanner glanced at the sun and said, “We expected to be near Breslau City by nightfall.”
“We still may make it. Not using the road is slowing us down.”
They had yet to pass anyone on the road, going in either direction. They passed two more fishing villages, both seemingly on their last legs. The buildings were worn and tired looking. They saw no fishing boats and assumed they were at sea.
Then, as the sun sank and tinged the west with red, the city came into view. It was still too far away to make out details, but the castle of the bluff stood out. The city spread below.
Tanner said, “We’ll spend the night before entering tomorrow, but first I want to get closer and observe what’s going on.”
“Something’s bothering you.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Lights. Or lack of. That is a whole city up there, and I don’t see enough lights. We should see candles and lanterns in buildings everywhere, but there’s only a few,” Tanner said.
“I wonder what that means?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Despite the warmth provided by the capes, the night was cold, and the wind blew. Their extra blankets couldn’t keep them warm, either. By morning, they were shivering and thinking only about a campfire that was impossible. There was no firewood in the area. Only barren rock and dry grasses.
The sun peeked over the mountains, and they warmed quickly, standing to absorb the rays. By the time the sun was up higher, they had already begun to remove the blankets.
Carrion said, “Okay, the road has nobody on it, not even this close to the ‘city’ which I’m beginning to think is a sham. No candles in windows last night, nobody walking on the only road out of town, and I have seen nothing of movement in the city. Not even the castle had the number of lights I expected.”
“We need to get a look at the port,” Tanner said. “What do you think is happening?”